ble people, which be robbed and spoiled, and almost famished: what exclamation they make with teares running downe their chekes, yelling and crying vnto God for helpe, as also the destruction of churches, monasteries, and holy places, holy vessels, and other ornamentes vnto Gods seruice dedicated: the sacrilegious robberies takings and imprisoninges: the spoyling of holy churches, and religious persons, with manye other suche innumberable, detestable, execrable mischiefes, offending the eyes of the deuine maiestye: All which, if your princely hart woulde consider and wel remember, with this also that the catholik faithe (especially in the east partes) and the Christians there abiding by meanes of the same dissensions and warres, destitute of the helpes of suche catholike men as are in the West parties, are so afflicted of the Infidels, seyng the other partes of Christendome so troubled, with cruell persections yea & more crueller then euer yet hath ben (although in these times to amplify this our faith in the sayd East partes is cruell persecution shewed more then hath been of many yeares past) doubtles we beleue, it would pitie your hart. And to the end that such & so great euils shuld no farther procede, nor yet þ^t so great good as might be done by delatyng of our foresayd faith in these times should be let & hindered: we desire you that ye would apply your mynde to make some agreement and peace with the foresayd kyng. For if my welbeloued sonne, God hath geuen vnto you prosperous successe and fortune, ye ought rather to humble then to extolle your selfe: and so much the more redier to incline to his peace, & to endeuor your selfe to please God, whiche loueth peace and deliteth in peaceable men, & to eschew the foresayd euils, which w^tout doubt do greuously offēd him. Furthermore, we maruell greatly that vnto our reuerend brother Anibaldus bishop of Tusculane, and our beloued son Stephen of the title of S. Ihon and Paul, priest and cardinall of the apostolical see, beyng sent as legates by vs and the same see apostolicall to intreat a peace, who diligently and faithfull labouryng for the same as louers of veritie, iustice, & equitie, & ther with al regarders of your honour: could not be suffred touching þ^e intreaty of the same peace, to come vnto your graces presence. Wherefore, we desire your kyngly highnes more earnestly, and for the mercy of God with more vehemēce require the same: that you takyng vp the foresayd horrible euils and preuentyng the swetnes of piety and cōpassion, may escape the vengeance of Gods indignation, whiche were to be feared, If you should perseuere in your former euils as God forbid. And as touching the intreaty of peace, for whiche our foresayd cardinals were sent vnto you (how be it secretly least it should be any derogation to your honor) we desire you to condescēd therunto, & with all your affectiō you wil incline your mind to the same, so pleasaunt vnto God, so desired of the world as also to you, the foresayd king, & vnto the catholicke faith profitable. And that the same peace by Gods helpe and grace established and made perfect, you might assay your puissant strength about Gods busines, in the foresayd East parts (so good occasion seruyng as before is sayd in these our times) being so apt aduaūcemēts of your honor & happy increasing of your princely name: for feruētly we haue herd of you reported to behaue your self, in all your attemptes. Thus we doubt not, but that you wyll write vnto vs agayne touchyng the premisses, and the purpose of your intention touchyng the same. Dated at Auinion the xviij. of February and v. yeare of our Papacy.

MarginaliaK. Edward answereth to the popeMOst holy father, we vnderstand by the letters of the reuerende fathers in God the bishop of Tusculan, and Stephan of the title of S. Iohn priest, Cardinalls and Legates of the court of Rome, as also by the letters of your holynes sent vnto vs, that ye maruell greatly for þ^t your sayd Legates were of purpose sent vnto vs and commaunded to entreate of a peace betwene our aduersary of Fraunce and vs, that we woulde not suffer them secretly to talk with vs, for the safegard of our honour: The intentiō of your hart to make the foresayd peace, complayning & bewayling therin the death of christenmen, the losse of their goodes, the perill of their soules, the lamentable waylings of the poore, of þ^e orphans, the widowes, and destructiō of other piteful persons, the pillage and robieries of churches, and other mischeues innumerable, & namely the diminishing of the christen fayth in the East partes, which by the warre betwene our aduersary of Fraunce & vs is sore decayed, as the said letters plainlye do import: And that for asmuch as God hath geuen vs triūphant fortune, þ^t so much the more we ought to abase and humble our hart and to be the readier to make & encline to a peace. As touching these things holy father, we geue your holines to vnderstād, that as well vnto your foresayd Legates as other messingers sent from you vnto vs, we haue offered vnto euery of them reasonable wayes of peace. and euery daye declare the same, and that not secretly but openly: For we doubt not to let our purpose be vnderstoode, for he that is the high iudge both of him & vs, in whose disposition all thing lyeth, hath geuen vnto vs the crowne of Fraunce to our right and proper heritage. The which right, our foresaid aduersary hath by force, of long time detayned from vs we seeking to obtayne the same in peaceable wise & yet do, if we might obtaine the same in any good maner: rather for the benefit of christē men and that the foresaid euils might cease, which by his wrongfull meanes onely haue increased & growen. Yet notwithstāding as before this time you know we assented to a truce w^t certain articles conteined in the same writyng, all this he hath infringed: Neyther doth the wronge suffice him whiche he offereth vs in our foresayd heritage, but endeuoreth himself during þ^e sayd truce to inuade our realme of England and other our landes: and further maintaineth the Scots and aydeth them to the vtter destruction of vs, our people, and landes aforesaid: wherby we were inforced for the safegard of our people and landes, by such lawful meanes as we may, to defend our selues and put him from hys wicked purpose. And farthermore, for the same our quarell being in the handes of God, hauewe commen agaynst him to conquer our inheritaunce of Fraunce ouer whom God hath geuen vs diuers victories as we haue trusted he would by his rightwyse iudgemēt and power, which thing he hath shewed vpon (vs all chance of fortune set a part) in respect of our rightfull title therin, and without our desertes: Wherfore withall humilitie of hart we geue him thankes alwaies therfore, most deuoutly night & day praysing his holy name, for we acknowledge the same commeth not by our strength and force. Wherfore most holy father we desire your holines, and somuch as in vs lyeth requyre the same, that you that supply þ^e place of the sonne of God in earth, and hath the gouernment of the soules of all christen men and ought to be vpright and equall towardes all men without acception of persons: that ye wil receaue good information and true, of the obiections aboue sayd, & will put to your holy helping hand, as much as in you is, that our sayd aduersary of Fraunce may acknowledge his wrong which he hath done to vs herein, and may be by your ayde redressed, & that he in this his wronge haue no maintenāce & ayde at your hand. MarginaliaThe king appealeth from the pope to God.For if it be so, we thē appeale vnto the iudge of iudges which suffereth for a time wronges to be done for the sinfull default of man, but in the end he redresseth the same, leauing no good deede vnrewarded, nor euill vnpunished: most humbly requyring him to be to vs a true and vpright iudge of all our controuersies, for hys mercies sake, as in þ^e meane time we repose our full trust and confidence in him. The holy spirite of God, &c.

MarginaliaOffers made to the men of Flaūders to forsake K. Edward.Moreouer duryng yet the siege of Callis, the French kyng had sente certaine offers to the men of Flaunders, that if they would relinquish the kyng of England and adhere to hym, first he would remit all their former transgressions. 2. Also he would vnburden thē of their interdict. 3. Item, he would send vnto them such plenty of corne, that what was sold for xij. s. with them, should be solde for iiij. s. & that for vi. yeares. 4. Itē, he would store them with plenty of Frenche wull, to make cloth for a smal price, and that they might sell the said clothes both in Flaunders and in Fraunce: and that the French men should vse the same cloth, for so much as all other maner of cloth should be forbid in Fraunce, so long as any of that (made of French wull) might be found. 5. Item, he would restore to them these iij cities, Insulam, Rowacū, & Betonie. 6. Item, he would defend them from all their aduersaries. And in pledge of the same, would send them money before hand. 7. Item, such as wer able & forward men among them, he woulde reteine and promote them &c. But these offers semyng to proceede more of fayre woordes to serue the present turne, then of anye hartye truthe, were not receaued. Then the Lord Ihon, prince and heyre to the French king, duryng the foresayd siege of Calys aboue mētioned, commyng with a mighty armey of French men, set vpon the men of Flaunders and English men in the towne of Casseles. MarginaliaThe Dolphin with the Frēch discomfited at Casseles.In the which conflict duryng from mornyng to noone, the French men were vanquished & the yong Dolphin driuen backe frō whēce he came. Of whose number diuers were slayne, & takē prisoners. Where on þ^e other side (through þ^e Lordes defence) not one is reported to be greuously wounded.

Marginalia1347.As this passed on, not long after about the vij. day of Iune. an. 1347. kynd Edward continuyng still his siege agaynst Calys, Philip the French kyng came down w^t a mighty armey, purposing to remoue the siege: where not farre of from the Englishe host, he incamped hym selfe. Whiche done, ij. Cardinals, Anibaldus, and Stephanus (procured for þ^e same purpose)going betwene þ^e ij. kyngs, gaue to þ^e kyng of England thus to vnderstād: þ^t if he wold cōdescend to any reasonable way of peace, the French kyng was ready to offer such honest profers vnto him, as to reason and to his contentation should seme agreable. But in conclusion whē it came to talke, the nobles could not agree vpon the conditions. Wherfore, the Frēch kyng seyng no other remedy, did it to be signified to kyng Edward: that betwene þ^e presēt Teusday, & the next Friday, if he would come forth into þ^e field, he shuld haue battaile geuen him. MarginaliaThe French kyng flieth before the battailThus the place beyng vewed of iiij. captaines of either host, for þ^e battaile to be fought: it so fell, that the French kyng on wednesday at nyghte before the battaile should ioyne, secretly by night setting hys pauilions on fire, returned backe with hys armey, out of the sight of the English men.

Vpon the friday folowyng, they which were besiged